DISPUTES WITH WORKERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19731, 2 September 1927, Page 11

DISPUTES WITH WORKERS.

AUSTRALIAN SEAMEN. REJECTION OF DEMANDS. EXTRA £-1,000,000 IN WAGES. SHIPOWNERS' CASE STATED. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. (Received September 1, 5.6 p.m.) A. and N.Z. SYDNEY, Sept. 1. Further details of the demands of the Federated Seamen's Union upon the interState shipowners for a new log are now available. The secretary of the union, in his letter to the owners, requested a conference. He contended that the agreement under which the men have been working had expired and intimated that in the. event of the representatives of the companies not attending a conference, the union would take such steps as might be necessary to enforce the demands outlined in the suggested new log. In his reply to this communication, the secretary of the Steamship Owners' Association, Mr. Dillon, said the agreement had not expired,„ the stipulated three months' notice of its expiry not having been given. He said he regretted the announcement that failing a conference the seamen intended to enforce their demands, as that decision was not conducive to a satisfactory commencement of any negotiations.

Mr. Dillon said ho estimated that the increased cost to the shipowners under the proposed new log would bo about £1,000,000 a year. The demands made were, for the mosE part, of such an extravagant nature that there was no possibility of the owners agreeing to them. An increase of more than £4 in all fixed wages was demanded, although Australian seamen's wages wero already nearly four times those paid in Germany, nearly double those of British and Norwegian seamen and nearly half as much again as American seamen receive. The reduction of hours demanded and the increased overtime pay would bring the Australian seamen's wages up to nearly four times those paid to British seamen and to nearly twice those paid to New Zealand, said Mr." Dillon. For instance, a fireman, for merely performing his two watches of four hours, under the proposed log would receive £402 a year and, including his keep, overtime pay and other concessions, his total -wage would amount to £546 a year, compared with his present wage of £274. Regarding the men's demand for a 44hours week, Mr. Dillon said this would impose a crushing burden on the shipping industry in the shape .of overtime pay. It would involve an additional expenditure of £200,000. The Australian seamen were already enjoying higher wages and conditions far better than those in any other part of the world, and the industry was not in a position to face any further extravagant demands. Nor should the public be asked to meet the demands by paying any largely increased fares and freights, which would be the only alternative. Mr. Dillon called attention to the large number of maritime agreements already existing. He said it would be useless to confer on the basis of the log submitted, but if the union "desired a conference on the basis of the existing agreements his association would be willing to confer regarding several alterations which the association desired to be made. QUEENSLAND RAILWAYS. UNIONS SUPPORT STRIKERS. TRAIN SERVICES CANCELLED. (Received September 1, 9.5 p.m.) A. and N.Z. BRISBANE, Sept. 1. Following upon the receipt of advices from Brisbane that the Queensland railwaymen would cease work on Saturday in sympathy with the dismissed railway workers, the New South Wales Railway Commissioners decided that from this afternoon the departure of all trains to Queensland would be cancelled until further notice. Unless the dispute is settled within the next few days the trouble is expected to extend to th~e whole Commonwealth.

A message from Sydney says the State council of the Australian Railways Union has sent £2OO to assist the Queensland railway strikers. The council carried a motion declaring that the threat of the Premier of Queensland, Mr. W. McCormack, "stamps him as a political thug." The members pledged themselves to support the men, and if the threat were carried out to do all in their power to prevent the Queensland traffic from being handled.

The Australian Workers' Union has decided that if the railway dispute has not been settled by Saturday the positions held by the railwaymen who may have been dismissed by the Premier's ultimatum shall be declared black, and that all railwaymen shall refuse to fill them, or to work in conjunction with those who do fill them. At a meeting the Rockhampton Chamber of Commerce endorsed the action of the Premier, and promised their practical support to prevent the dislocation of transport facilities. The Premier attended a lengthy meeting of the Queensland Central Executive and placed the issue clearly before the meeting. He declared that the Railway Commissioners, and not the union, should control the railways. When the meeting dispersed one prominent union official said the prospects of a settlement were bright. It is considered likely that the Board of Trade will be asked to intervene and arrange a compromise. Between 140 and 150 men have now been dismissed for refusing duty.